Fire-escape.



E. M. LOWY.

PIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3,1908.

nue-nilo@ Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

5ML( 911 @gna/f hmucls @GWW 9 Y @Wi EMIL M. LOWY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application filed September 3, 1908. Serial No. 451,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, EMIL M. Lowv, a subject of the Emperor ot Austria and King ot' Hungary, residing in the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful mproveinents in Fire-Escapes, of which the following `is a full. clear` and exact specification.

ls/iy invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lite-saving appara` tus or lire escapes, and has for its object. the construction of a supporting apparatus :tor the body ot the user, together with an etlicient rope or cable-governing means to regulate the speed with which the person being rescued can descend.

In the drawings illustrating one form of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view ot' the whole apparatus; Fig. Q is a detail sectional view of a portion of the cablegoverning means; Fig. 3 is a side sectional view of the same; and Fig. 4 is a detail ot the locking mechanism 'for holding the parts of the cable-governing moans together.

Like reference numerals indicate. corresponding parts in the different figures ot' the drawings.

The retarding or cable-gm'ci'ning means consists essentially oiI a 'trame or support comprising two arms 1 and 2, hinged together at their upper ends as at 3. One of said arms carries a spindle upon which is pivoted a rope or cable-pulley il, and a guiding-pulley 5 is fitted upon a spindle C, which slides in guiding-slots in the arms 1 and Q. Below the pulley-wheel 4, an additional controlling-wheel 7 is provided` which revolves upon a spindle S, supportedin a carrier 9, and the ends of the spindle 8 project through guiding-slots 10, in the arms 1 and 2, as will be seen in Fig. 2. To the lower ends ot' the arms 1 and 2 are secured the frame-braces 11 and 1Q, and in the said braces are pivoted, as at 13 and 1li, the con trolling arms or levers 15 and 1G. The inner curved ends 17 and 18 ot' said levers are adapted to bear upon the under-side of the carrier 9, and the levers are also provided with apertures 19, for engagement with the suspending` or body-supporting apparatus. At the outer ends of said levers, operating handles Q0 are secured, and links 21, pivoted to said arms respectively and engaging the spindle 6, serve to control the relative positions of the cable-pulleys. The suspending or supporting apparatus for the body comprises a belt 2Q, provided near one end with a series of rings Q3, and the other end is provided with a snap-hook 24, adapted to engage in one of said rings, the particular one depending upon the size ot the person to be rescued. rThe belt is adapted to iit snugly around the persons waist. The belt is supported by looped straps Q5, which are adjustable by means ot' buckles, and the said straps are connected to supporting members 2G, each of which is provided with an armhole 27. These members are provided attheir upper ends with snap-hooks QS, adapted to engage the apertures in the governingarms 15, 1G, the particular apertures depending upon the weight ol the user. The straps 28 have secured to them at their lower ends a seat-support 29, which is scoured permanently at one end to one of the looped straps, and has a series of rings 3() secured adjacent its other end, which are adapted to engage snap-hook 31 upon the other looped strap.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing. Then the apparat-us is designed to be used, the pivoted arms 1 and 2 are spread open and the supporting rope or cable 32 is guided in between the pulleys 4f and 7. The upper end of the cable is then secured in any suitable manner to a port-ion of the building from which the escape is intended to be made, and the pivoted arms are closed (see F ig. 1) this being accomplished by means ot' a catch 33, secured to the underside of the supporting trames 11 and 12. The body-supporting ap paratus is then adjusted about the user, the belt being put about the waist, the support 29 being placed beneath his seat, and his arms being thrust through the arm-holes 27. Tt' the user is a heavy person the snaphooks QS will be 'fastened in the outer apertures 19 of the regulating arms, but for a person of moderate weight they will be inserted as shown in Fi g. 1. The person then desiring to descend grasps the handles 20, and by regulating the pressure thereon forces the controlling pulley 7 upwards against the 1 cable, and thereby regulates the friction upon the same, and by using more or less pressure he can regulate the speed with which the apparatus descends upon the cable or rope, and can thus secure an easy and safe descent, no matter what the height of the building may be.

It is obvious that many changes in all directions may be made from the eXact structure shown and described herein, and I do not intend to limit myself to the exact structure herein disclosed, but Y Vhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A life-saving apparatus comprising a cable, a descent-controlling means coperating with said cable, and a suspending apparatus connected to said descent-controlling means comprising a belt, a swinging seat, and suspending members between said parts and the cable-controlling means provided with arm-holes for the user.

2. A life-saving apparatuscomprising a cable, a descent-controlling means coperating with said cable, and a suspending apparatusconne'cted to said descent-controlling means comprising an adjustable belt, an adjustable seat, looped straps connected t0 said belt and said seat, and supporting members connecting said looped straps with the descent-controlling means.

8. Av lifesaving apparatus comprising a cable, a descent-controlling means coperating with said cable, and a suspending apparatus connected t0 said descent-controlling means, comprising a belt provided with a snap-hook upon one end and a series of rings adjacent the other, a pair of looped straps for supporting said belt, a seat-support comprising a strap securely fixed to one of said supporting-straps, and provided with a series of rings adapted vto engage a snap-hook 1 upon the other of said rings, and a pair of supporting members connected to the upper ends of said looped straps provided with apertures for the arms of the user, and snaphooks at the upper ends thereof adapted to engage the cable-controlling means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL M. LOWY. 1Witnesses CLAUDE C. NEVILLE, CHARLEs A. SCHEUBER. 

